A7FL WEEK 1 ROUNDUP March 21 2015

Less than a year. It took less than a year for the vision of American 7’s (A7FL) to finally kick off and this Saturday we will get to see the product delivered by the great minds for the first time, and boy, the match ups we have for you are sure to make you feel some type of way.

A7FL the nation’s largest Tackle No Pads Football League will be opening it’s doors for the first time. But don’t let that fool you, the founders and creators of A7 are the same people who have created and developed Townbeef, the predominately New Jersey and Pennsylvania based league for a decade now.

For the first time in the history of either league will we see games played in three locations at the same time as The 7-time Townbeef Champion Sayreville Bombers travel to Baltimore to take on the two-time undefeated Baltimore Cobra, the Punishers from New Jersey take on the Gladiators from Pennsylvania and the reigning defending Beef Bowl Champions Wrecking Crew University take on The Nation.

So why should you care? Simply because you have never seen a product like this in your life. The players you will see grace an A7 field this weekend aren’t just athletes, they aren’t just linemen or receivers or backs, they are everything. They are hard hitting, they are fast, agile, they can block and hit, they can cover and run for days. In other forms of this sport players are limited to knowing and perfecting just one position, in A7 you can see the same player some times play nearly five different positions in one 60-minute time span. This weekend will be no different.

For the first time since it’s inception the league will be taking it’s talents across the Hudson River into the boroughs of New York City as the Punishers from New Jersey take on the Pennsylvania Gladiators in Brooklyn.

If you are new to this league or have been living under a rock for many years most of you might actually not know who the Punishers are. But this team knows what they are doing and it all starts with their Captain Isaac “Isack” Negron who has brought the team back for the first time since 2010. The Punishers are a fast paced team with plenty of talent all around, led by an offensive core that begins and ends with their Quarterback Robert Crawford their passing game and subsequent running game is moved through him. A new look offensive line with Lamaar “Jazz” Mays returns to an A7 field for the first time in nearly five years and is sure to make holes like a bull dozer for both Crawford and veteran Running Back #1 Gerald “Bigga” Llewellyn. Don’t let their active running game fool you as Crawford knows how to whip the rock and #8 Omar Cheatham takes care of that with his explosive speed and incredibly route running.

Despite a fairly undersized defense in terms of height the one thing you won’t see lacking from the Punishers core is the ability to swarm to the ball and play technical, physical football. #52 Tashawn Williams is one of the hardest hitting safeties in the game and has been known to knock a ball or a tooth, or a rib loose one or two times. Mike Stryker #99 mans the middle of the defensive line and is quietly making a name for himself as one of the better defensive tackles in the league and Raymond Walters #12 is setting the tone for the defense locking down a teams #1 receiver with ease.

On the other side of the ball the Gladiators are coming across state lines for the first time since playing in the Beef Bowl playoffs last spring. Following an undefeated Fall Brawl the Gladiators are poised to make a statement on Saturday and prove that Pennsylvania isn’t just for cow tipping and dating your sister but is known for its action packed football as well.

The one thing that everyone needs to know about this squad is there ability to play as one unit. It isn’t just a player at a position, but each player is just a piece or a cog that makes the machine run. #1 Bman, is a wrecking ball not to be messed with and is certain to be a game changer as is #34 on the defensive line who is a second generation Townbeefer who is looking to make a name for himself like his brother had done in years past with A-Team.

On the offensive side of the ball the Gladiators are bringing a few mainstays to the picture start with their gunslinger Rich Adams at QB. Adams #01 shows a consistently accurate throwing motion that has the potential to produce big game distance but it isn’t his arm that makes opposing players look in awe but his feet that can change the game from competitive to ugly in the matter of moments. Don’t let Adams get outside of the pocket because those who do tend to see themselves on the opposite side of the scoreboard more often than not. But Adams can’t do it all, he has a supporting cast at WR that can help him make plays as #9 Byrd is quick to the spot and is always willing to move around to help his QB out in a pinch. Byrd shows explosiveness off the snap, an ability to run an efficiently crisp route and has hands of glue as everything that hits them is sure to stay in his possession.

In Baltimore you are going to see an even better match up. The Bombers from Sayreville are packing their bags and heading south to take on the newest addition to the Townbeef family in the Baltimore Cobras.

The Bombers are known for winning, there is only one team in this league with more Beef Bowls under their belt and most of the players who were on that team are now donning the blue. The Bombers have been a central component to Townbeef winning a total of 7 championships across both Spring and Fall seasons, countless winning streaks that at one time saw more than 30 games and have been in the league since day one.

Led by John “JD” Demild III who embodies the family and town aspect that makes the Bombers who they are the #BOOM is built with weapons and nearly every position. The heart and soul of the offense begins with Shaune “King ST” Thomas known for breaking defenses with both his arm and his legs is joined by a cast of characters unrivaled by any team in the league. A HB core that consists of Michael Knight, Mikey “Shakes” Thomas, Naquan “Agent Zero” Jenkins & Mujahaad “Moo” Myles all exude power, speed & elusiveness from just about any where on the field. Abby Mansaray, Ameer “Chicc” Morris & KC help to stretch the field with their immediate playmaking impact and arguably their biggest mismatch on the field James “Big White” DeMild at TE is too fast for LBs to cover and too strong for Safeties or Defensive Backs to cover.

The defense is no slouch either, with the Flex Brothers James “Sully” Sullivano, KJ Hulteen and Kyle “Fweez” Fuentes controlling the defensive line. And if you get past those three meatheads you get Mark “Doby” Dobiszewski or Reinaldo Rodriguez to clean up the pieces. At defensive back you need to account for two-way player Kelly Gallimore who is arguably one of the fastest players the boys from Sayreville have on the roster and that’s saying a lot with the names listed above.

Baltimore has been known for two things for many years; Crab Cakes & The Wire. And now you can add Football to the mix as the Cobras look to take the field for the second time in two years against a jersey team.

The last time the Cobras came to Jersey as the Assassins and faced the Savage on the same day as the Beef Bowl and certainly did their job by turning some heads. Led by a defensive core that is second-to-none, Bone, Lipscomb and company made sure the Savage felt every hit they made.

#52 Jawaun Lipscomb is a player to watch for on the Cobras who even has a highlight reel of his own. Known for being a monster that controls the middle of the field Lipscomb is the type of LB who can cover your best runner out of the backfield one minute and chase down your star QB behind the line of scrimmage the next. Tall is stature, Lipscomb is one of the hardest hitting LB in Bmore let alone in all of A7. He is paired with arguably one of the best 1,2 punches in beef history when #6 Darrell “Bone” Harris helps to clean up any piece that Lipscomb cannot. With a body frame that is more designated to fit the defensive line Bone is a sneaky athlete who can perform just about any action required of him.

But don’t sleep on their offense. With Aaron Johnson #4 behind center and #28 Mike Riddick hanging out in the backfield the Cobras know how to move the ball with the best of them. But the Bombers aren’t just going to have their hands full with stopping the running game as the Cobras will bring #0 to the field who has some of the best hands on a receiver in the league.

Baltimore may be entering their second ever Spring season but these players have been playing together for years and while they are widely unknown to the rest of the A7 universe they are more than happy to show us what they can do.

The Game of the Night will be held in New Jersey as the reigning Beef Bowl 9 champion Wrecking Crew U will rematch their Beef Bowl opponent The Nation at St. John Viannys HS. The last time we saw these two teams in action against one another it was The U who came out victorious on the tremendous play by Beef Bowl MVP Marcus “Hardbody” McKinney who had multiple touchdowns and multiple interceptions to lock BIC down on both sides of the ball.

Since this loss, Carl Meisner and his squad have had this date circled on the calendar and for great reason. The Nation have been fighting tooth and nail to get back what was taken from them in the championship and they will attempt to do that this Saturday. However, you might notice some new faces donning the Black & Blue as both the offense and the defense received a welcomed face lift.

Former Boston University Quarterback Christopher Johnson is now under center for BIC and has perhaps the best group of receivers to throw the ball to. The WR core led by second-year player Pat “Smoke” Cobourne, Troy Smith, Chris “Laid Back” Jones and Terry Roland the new look BIC offense looks to air it out early and often. But it wasn’t just the playmakers that have been restructured as Fernando “Big Fern” Robinson joins Rob “Big Rob” Fabien to dominate the offensive line, and conceivably the best blocking HB Jaleel “Courage” Jones makes the running game just as dangerous as the passing game.

The addition of all star Shamarr “Ol Skool” Hullett will certainly help as he joins an offensive line that already has Ken Stansbury, Anthony “Ant-live” Richardson and Andrew Levine. Behind that front four the hardest hitting LB in beef Ronald Clerc and one of the hardest hitting defensive backs Abdul Shabaka awaits anyone lucky enough to get past that line so they can lay the stick.

For the first time several years, both Tahree McQueen and Kareem Moon are on the offense at the same time. Either of these players have what it takes to throw the ball down field with consistency, accuracy and distance and turn on the jets and take off in a moments notice. Around them, Air Jamaica, #2 Adrian “A-Star” Rodriguez & #19 Joel Rivera make it easy to play the quarterback position regardless of who is back there.

However, despite what The U bring to the table offensively it should be noted that their defense is the heart and soul of their squad. Led by the aforementioned Hardbody, who plays nearly four different defensive positions at any one time, he is accompanied by Rashawn “Rated” McGuire as the best 1,2 defensive back combination in Beef. #0 Craig Pitts adds to the punishment that can be delivered to opposing ball carriers as he has been known to make the biggest hits in Beef history including one delivered to Omar Cheatham from The Punishers earlier this week.

The team which is led by Marcell “Boobie Myles” Bates has always been known for being one of the leagues top talented teams but has only recently taken their talent from manageable to unstoppable. The Crew are firing on all cylinders despite the slow start in week one and should open up this rematch with the same fire and passion they had in Beef Bowl 9.

These games are sure can’t miss. But they are not the only games that should be seen this week as on Sunday we will see several rivalry games take place when Beef Bowl 7 rematch between New Jersey Savage and Pennsylvania A-Team will take place, The Wolfpack play the Hawks and Union City teams Chiefs and Rebels face off in the 8pm Game of the week at the Roselle Park field in NJ.

Whether you fancy yourself a night out on Saturday to see our A7 games that are sure to excite even the smallest of football fans or on Sunday to see some fun rivalries take place this weekend and all of it’s festivities are purely can’t miss!

Justin aka Peckin is a social media consultant working with some of the world’s largest brands including Yahoo, Nike & the NHL among many others. In his spare time he is a Fantasy Football writer forthefantasyfix.com and can be read weekly throughout the football season discussing the best waiver wire pickups each NFL week.

Peckin can also be heard as the host of Townbeef Radio that can be heard every Friday at 8:30pm on BlogTalkRadio.